Additional Information

Faculty Research

Susan Grossman, MSW, LCSW, DSW, FAPADr Grossman is currently working on several research initiatives.

"GWIK: Global Work with Immigrant Kids," U.S. Department of Education and European Union Commission of Education (FIPSE) three-year funded project to exchange faculty and students from three U.S. colleges with three EU colleges, to develop an international practice model for immigrant children as well as to compare differences in the needs of immigrant children, 2008-2011.

"Implementing International Exchange for BSW Programs: Toward the Beginning of a Transatlantic Social Work of Practice Model," published in the Journal of Global Social Work Practice, November 2009, Volume 3.

"An Investigation into the Similarities and Differences between Selected Older Member Nations of the European Union and the United States 'Best Practices' for Work with Individuals, Groups, and Communities," published in the Journal of Global Social Work Practice, November 2008, Volume 2.

International Social Work Practice: a Transatlantic Social Work Practice Model (TRANSPRAC). A US Department of Education and European Union Commission of Education (FIPSE) three-year funded project to exchange faculty and students from three US colleges and three EU colleges, and to build an international social work practice model.

"Building a Transatlantic Alliance for International Exchange" at the 25th Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors in March 2008.

"Innovation International Exchange Program among European Union and United States BSW Students" Paper presentation for the Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, November 2005. (Faculty/student collaboration)

Social Revitalization in Smith Hill: Oral history as a community assessment model. Providence College 2003/04 CAFR grant funded research investigation for the Smith Hill Development Corporation.

The Relation of Center-Based Day Care Quality to Attachment and Pro-sociability in Day Care Enrolled 2, 3, 4, and 5 year olds. Research conducted with the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families assessing the quality of day care in Rhode Island state licensed child day care centers.

Child Day Care Services: Conflicting Values and Priorities for Child Development. Providence College CAFR grant funded research investigation with the Department of Children,Youth, and Families into all Rhode Island state licensed child day care centers assessing the relationships among Day Care Placement, Security, and Pro-sociability in 2, 3, 4, and 5 year olds, 2002-03.

"Attachment and Pro-sociability as a Function of Day Care" Paper presentation at the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, November 2004.(Faculty/student collaboration)

"Family Centered Practice in Child Welfare" Paper presentation at the 23rd Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, November 2005. (Faculty/student collaboration)

"Teaching Improvisation: The Struggle for a Social Work Aesthetic" Roundtable Discussion at the 23rd Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, November 2005.

"Integrating Research and Practice Pedagogy: Learning from Social Workers' Stories of Practice," a paper co-authored with Katherine Kranz, Ph.D. and BSW students Courtney Dillon and Kathryn Wood, presented at the 54th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Philadelphia, PA, November, 2, 2008.

“Preparing the Next Generation of Educators and Practitioners to ‘Think Developmentally.” Paper presentation at the Annual Program Meeting (APM) of the Council on Social Work Education , San Francisco, CA, October 27-30-2007.

“Preparing Deliberative Practitioners: A Quasi-Experiment in the Exploration of Client Metaphors”, paper accepted for presentation at the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education , Paper accepted for presentation at the Annual Program Meeting (APM) of the Council on Social Work Education , San Francisco, CA, October 27-30-2007

“Expanding the Borders of Intervention: An Experiment in the Utility of Exploring Clients’ Metaphors,” a paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Work Association March 17, 2007, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Bridging the Domains of Experience: Building Ties between Action in the Classroom and Practice". Paper presentation at the 24th Annual Conference of Baccalaureate Social Work program Directors, Los Angeles, CA, October 25-28, 2006.

Community-based research with junior and senior major students and DCYF into effectiveness of Family-Centered Intake Initiative leading to report entitled “Community-Based Research: Building Ties between Academy and Agency, Family and Community”—Paper accepted for presentation at the 24th Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Los Angeles, CA, October 25-28, 2006.

“Listening to the Voices of Aging-Out Youth”—Community-based research with junior and senior major students and Rhode Island Foster Parents Association into preparation and support of state-custody youth for emancipation.

“Returning to our Roots in Chicago : Applications of Some Ideas of Jane Addams to Social Justice Work Today” Paper Presented at the 21st Anniversary National Conference of the Social Welfare Action Alliance , Chicago , IL June 17, 2006.

“Faculty/Student/DCYF Collaborative Research: Family Centered Practice in Child Welfare: Do Workers Really Change?” Paper presented at 23rd Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Austin, Texas November 2-6, 2005.

“Cultivating Practice Imagination” (part of ongoing research on the application of American Pragmatism to social work practice) Paper presented at 23rd Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Austin, Texas November 2-6, 2005

Presentation of findings of a study of the relationship between social workers' mental representations of a client and their performance of empathic tasks for presentation at The Society for Social Work Research Ninth Annual Conference, Miami, Florida, January 13-16, 2005.

Study of relationship between length of time in daycare, quality of daycare, attuned-ness of parenting, and children’s security & prosociability with Dr. Grossman for presentation at 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Detroit, Michigan November 3-7, 2004.

Katherine Kranz, MSW, LICSW, Ph.D.Dr. Kranz is currently working on several research initiatives.

"Investigating MSW Practitioners Perceived Use and Efficacy of Differential Practice Skills and of Evidence Based Practice," paper presentation with student Stacey Smith-Israel at the annual Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA) in Denver, CO in April, 2009.

"Boundaries Issues Working with Mentees," a presentation at Mary House/St. Patrick Church (food pantry) Mentoring Program, January 2009.

"Integrating Research and Practice Pedagogy: Learning from Social Workers' Stories of Practice," a paper co-authored with Michael Hayes, Ph.D. and BSW students Courtney Dillon and Kathryn Wood, presented at the 54th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Philadelphia, PA, November 2, 2008.

Marian Mattison, MSW, DSWDr. Mattison is currently researching the role of Virtue Ethics as a foundation for resolving ethical dilemmas in social work practice.

Mattison, M. 2006. Professional ethics codes: Applications to common ethical dilemmas. In C. Franklin, M.B. Harris, & P. Allen-Meares, (Eds),School social work and mental health workers training and resource manual. (Chapter 100). Oxford University Press. Practicing in school settings, social workers are likely to face some of the more difficult and challenging ethical and legal dilemmas that are rarely amenable to simple solutions. Employed in secondary settings,school social workers are obliged to establish collaborative partnerships with colleagues not familiar with or bound by the values and principles inherent in the NASW Code of Ethics. The expectations and demands resulting from co-existing loyalties to student clients, students' parents, teachers, administrators, other students, and the school system require social workers to assume a variety of roles and results in conflicting priorities. The challenges of working with minors, students intent on harming others, addressing issues such as of drug use/misuse, violence,sexuality, and suicide require school social workers to be not only knowledgeable about professional standards specified in codes of ethics but educated in strategies for resolving ethical dilemmas. In addition to upholding the standards specified in the NASW Code of Ethics,school social workers faced with ethical dilemmas must be familiar with the codes of conduct regulating the practice of allied disciplines and aware that the conflicting obligations required by other disciplines may result in disparate courses of action.